Fall River County, South Dakota

County Distress Index: Elevated · 60.9 | 7,393 people · 5th most distressed in South Dakota
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Fall River County, SD registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 60.9 — 766th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within South Dakota, it ranks 5th of 66 counties. It scores higher than all 4 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Fall River County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 90.2 — worse than roughly 90% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 90.2
Uninsured Rate 88
Disability Rate 92
Housing Cost Burden 76.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 80
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 95
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 94
Homeownership Rate 45
Rent-to-Income Ratio 71
Income & Poverty 64.9
Poverty Rate 55
Income vs. State Median 79
Child Poverty Rate 61
Employment & Wages 37.4
Unemployment Rate 30
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 66
Business Formation Rate 16
Debt & Delinquency 35.3
Debt in Collections 29
Medical Debt 23
Student Loan Delinquency 14
Auto Loan Delinquency 93
Credit Card Delinquency 42
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 11

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Fall River County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Fall River County
Fall River County, SD 60.9 Elevated —
Niobrara County, WY 57.4 Elevated -3.5
Dawes County, NE 57.1 Elevated -3.8
Sioux County, NE 46.7 Normal -14.2
Custer County, SD 33.6 Healthy -27.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Fall River County
Reynolds County, MO 60.9 Elevated +0.0
Calhoun County, WV 60.9 Elevated +0.0
Todd County, SD 61.0 Elevated +0.1
Benton County, MS 61.0 Elevated +0.1
Chautauqua County, KS 61.0 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Fall River County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Fall River County

Find an Attorney

State Bar of South Dakota Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of South Dakota Lawyer Referral Service 605-224-7554

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Fall River County residents at no cost.

East River Legal Services 1-800-952-3015
Dakota Plains Legal Services 1-800-658-2297

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in South Dakota →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Fall River County, South Dakota?

    Fall River County has a County Distress Index score of 60.9 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 766th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 5th in South Dakota out of 66 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Fall River County?

    The primary driver of distress in Fall River County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 90.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Fall River County compare to neighboring counties?

    Fall River County (60.9) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Niobrara County, WY (57.4); Dawes County, NE (57.1); Sioux County, NE (46.7).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Fall River County?

    Fall River County, South Dakota has a population of approximately 7,393 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.